Overview
The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (Quechua: Tawantinsuyu pronounced [taˈwantiŋ ˈsuju], lit. 'land of four parts'), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The Inca civilisation rose from the Peruvian highlands sometime in the early 13th century. The Portuguese explorer Aleixo Garcia was the first European to reach the Inca Empire in 1524. Later, in 1532, the Spanish began the conquest of the Inca Empire, and by 1572 the last Inca state was fully conquered. From 1438 to 1533, the Incas incorporated a large portion of western South America, centered on the Andean Mountains, using conquest and peaceful assimilation.
Historical Periods
Inca Empire (1440–1449)
1440 CE – 1449 CE
Capital: CuscoArea: 8,783 km²
Inca Empire (1450–1474)
1450 CE – 1474 CE
Capital: CuscoArea: 155,368 km²
Inca Empire (1475–1481)
1475 CE – 1481 CE
Capital: CuscoArea: 434,499 km²
Inca Empire (1482–1496)
1482 CE – 1496 CE
Capital: CuscoArea: 537,420 km²
Inca Empire (1497–1533)
1497 CE – 1533 CE
Capital: CuscoArea: 2,095,032 km²
Inca Empire (1534–1539)
1534 CE – 1539 CE
Capital: CuscoArea: 2,077,969 km²
Inca Empire (1540–1563)
1540 CE – 1563 CE
Capital: CuscoArea: 4,864 km²
Inca Empire (1564–1571)
1564 CE – 1571 CE
Capital: CuscoArea: 4,864 km²